Applicability

Description

The objective of this technique is to show how identifying content only by
its shape or location makes content difficult to understand and operate.
When only visual identification or location is used, users with visual
disabilities may find it difficult to locate content since they cannot see
the screen or may perceive only a small portion of the screen at one time.
Also, location of content can vary if page layout varies due to variations
in font, window, or screen size.

Examples

The navigation instructions for a site state, "To go to next page,
press the button to the right. To go back to previous page, press
the button to the left."

A user is reading a news article in an on-line newspaper. The article
contains an illustration and additional links for more information.
Within the text of the article is a statement, "Please see sidebar
to the left of the illustration for links to additional
information." An assistive technology user would have difficulty
finding the illustration and the sidebar. Some alternatives would be
to include the list of links within the text; to provide an in-page
link within the text which links to the sidebar; to provide a
heading for the sidebar which can be used for navigation and refer
to the heading in the instructions.

A user is completing an on-line survey. There are three buttons at
the bottom of the survey form. The instructions state, "Press the
square button to exit the survey without saving, Press the triangle
button to save in-progress survey results. You may return later to
complete the survey. Press the round button to submit the survey
results." A screen reader user cannot determine which button is
square, triangular, or round. The buttons must have additional
information to indicate their functions.